


Against the Wind

by TheStigsWriterCousin



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Spider-Man - All Media Types, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Genre: Age Difference, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Small Town, Bullying, Coming of Age, Domestic Fluff, M/M, Peter is 17, Peter is a Student, Peter/Ned is Minor, Tony is 42, Tony is a Mechanic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-24
Updated: 2018-05-24
Packaged: 2019-05-13 10:00:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,294
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14746718
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheStigsWriterCousin/pseuds/TheStigsWriterCousin
Summary: Tony is a small town mechanic and Peter is a high school student plagued by bullies that takes refuge in his shop. The two build an unlikely friendship as Peter thinks of the garage as a sanctuary and Tony is constantly amazed at how bright and capable the young boy is. Over time, Tony’s fondness for Peter grows into something more.





	Against the Wind

**Author's Note:**

> Since my other long fic (Cast Away) is completed, I'm starting a new Starker fic!
> 
> My new plan for updating is to rotate between long fics and one-shots. I don't have a set schedule, but I'll post to my Spideypool long fic, then do a one-shot, then update the Starker long fic, then do a one-shot etc.
> 
> I included the moodboard I made for this fic down below.

[Tumblr](https://thestigswritercousin.tumblr.com/)

 

 

 

 

 

Tony takes a long draw from the cold bottle in his hands before he rubs it across his forehead, the cool condensation mixing with the sweat dripping down. He enjoys the chill for a moment before wiping the wetness from his forehead with the remnants of an old, torn up Black Sabbath t-shirt. Even with the air conditioning running, the big open space of the garage is hard to keep entirely cool and having the bulk of your upper body inside the hood of a car for long enough could make you hot even in Antarctica.

Tony smiles down at his baby- Despite the heat, he's happy with the progress he'd made since the morning. She's still ugly as hell, but she's getting to where she'll be running in a few months time. It would be faster, but Tony's got his hands full, having taken on more clients than he probably should have at one time. He's got two engine rebuilds and one full restoration, and as much as he loves to work on his own project when he can, it doesn't pay the bills.

On the weekends, he should probably kick back and relax, but he can't ever seem to sit still in the quiet, empty house so he finds himself back here, working on restoring his own 1932 Ford Flathead Roadster. When he got the car, it was a rusted, broken mess and while it still looked pretty much the same, under the hood everything was starting to come together..

Tony sets the bottle down, wiping his hands on his makeshift towel before diving back in, wrench in hand.

Clank.

Tony pauses his movements, listening to make sure he'd actually heard something other than his own movements.

"Oof-"

The sound echoes through the air and Tony stands, heavy tool in hand as he looks around the room. He was sure he locked the door behind him.. He walks quietly on the balls of his feet as he rounds the back of the car, lifting the wrench up to his chest, ready to strike.

Tony stops dead in his tracks when he sees the kid huddled up behind his large, standing tool chest. His face is flushed, eyes wide with panic, body hidden under a large blue sweatshirt, but his hands are visibly shaking.

Before he can ask what the hell the kid is doing in his shop, three other boys come bursting through the door. The biggest one, wearing a letterman jacket, pushes through to the front of the group with a scowl on his face.

"Hey, you see a nerdy kid come through here?" He asks in a hurry, chest heaving like he's been running.

Tony glances down for just long enough to catch the pleading look on the other kid's face before shrugging.

"Nope."

"If he's in here-" The boy starts, with a threatening tone and Tony snaps.

"Hey! Zip it,you little shit! If someone came into my shop, I think I'd know about it, now get the hell out of here." Tony raises the wrench a little higher and they all flinch before the leader huffs and pushes past them, out the door.

Tony walks over, locking the door behind them. By the time he turns around, the kid is standing from his hiding spot, still looking as nervous as ever.

"Thanks.." He fidgets with the hem of his shirt. "Sorry, I just ran in here, I-"

"What's your name?" Tony looks him up and down as he walks back over to his work station, the boy following him slowly.

"Peter. Peter Parker, sir." He gives Tony a small smile as he introduces himself.

"Ugh, don't call me 'sir'.." Tony makes a disgusted face and Peter's smile widens just a little. "I'm Tony. I'd shake your hand, but.." He holds his hands out in front of him, the grease obvious against his tanned skin.

"Oh, it's okay.. Um, anyway, sorry abou-"

"Hand me that screwdriver, will you? The flathead." Peter grabs the tool quickly, handing it over to him, continuing what he was saying.

"I just didn't know where else to go, they were chasing me and-"

"Yeah, why were they chasing you?" Tony props himself up on the edge of the car.

"Because they're a bunch of ignorant hicks that can't accept anything that disrupts their narrow view of how to world should be.." Peter answers grumpily.

"And you're a disruption, huh?" Tony cocks an eyebrow.

"Well, I'm gay, so.. Yeah, I guess." Peter shrugs.

"Aah.." Tony understands now. There are a lot of that type around town. "Well, you don't have to worry about them. If they come back around, I'll sic Tessa on them."

"Who's Tessa?" Peter tilts his head.

Tony lets out a out whistle and a big, gray pit bull comes running in through the flap in the back door, tail wagging enthusiastically as Tony bends down to pet her.

"This is Tessa." Tony rubs her belly. "She's a sweetheart, but she can be intimidating when she wants to be."

Peter reaches a hand out, letting the dog sniff him before petting her behind the ear. It's not long before Tessa's jumping up, knocking him onto his butt as she kisses his face. Tony laughs as he pulls her back.

"Okay, girl, that's enough.." He gives her a pat on the butt before sending her back outside, reaching a hand out to help Peter up.

"Thanks." Peter dusts himself off. "I guess I should go.."

"You don't have to." Tony surprises them both a little when he says that. "They might still be hanging around and.. I could use some help- If you want to stay for a while." He shrugs like it's no big deal either way, but Peter steps over to the car with a smile.

"I don't know much about cars, but I'm pretty good at following directions."

“Good- Now hand me that five millimeter socket.” Tony grins as Peter skims through the sizes until he lands on the right one. Lucky for him, Tony is meticulous in keeping his tools organized. “So, those jerks chase you around often?” Tony makes small talk as he works.

“Unfortunately..” Peter takes the screwdriver back when Tony hands it to him, putting it back in its place. “Football season starts soon and they’ll be busy after school with practice, so I guess that will help?”

“Well, if you’re willing to help out and you can promise not to get in the way, you’re welcome here anytime, kid.” Tony peaks his eyes up just enough to catch the smile on Peter’s face.

“Thanks.”

 

* * *

 

The next day, Tony's on his back, rolled under a Porsche when he hears the door creak open. He grabs a hold of the car's frame and pulls himself out, a little surprised when he sees Peter standing above him with a paper bag.

"I brought sandwiches." Peter smiles as Tony rolls out far enough to sit up.

"Hey- Oh! I'm starving, what have you got?" He sits on the edge of the creeper, elbows propped up on his knees as he grins.

"Turkey or Italian." Peter holds them both out and Tony grabs one, not knowing or caring which is which.

"I like a good surprise." He rips the paper from around the top and takes a big bite. "Mm- Italian." He tells Peter with the bite in his cheek and Peter just laughs at him.

"I thought I might do my homework here, if that's okay with you.." Peter mentions nervously.

"You feed me, you can stay." Tony grins and licks his lips.

When they're done eating, Tony gets back to work and Peter takes a seat at his desk across the room, pulling out a stack of papers and books from his backpack. They work in relative silence, every now and again, Tessa comes inside to say hello, distracting them, but for the most part it's calm and quiet.

  
  


* * *

 

“You got an essay due or something?” Tony questions, reaching up into the car raised above him.

“Huh?” Peter peaks his head up from his laptop.

“You’re just typing an awful lot over there.” The sound of the boy’s fingers on the keys had been constant since he sat down.

“Oh, no- Well, kind of? I’m doing my college applications, so there are lots of forms and essays.” Peter corrects himself, eyes moving back down to the screen.

“Oh yeah? What are you going for?” Tony is genuinely curious.

“Biomedical engineering.” Tony whistles and Peter laughs a little. “It’s not that big of a deal.”

“Really? Because it sounds like a pretty big deal.” Tony grins.

“My aunt is an emergency room nurse. I used to want to be a doctor when I was little, but I’m a little squeamish, so..” Peter pinched his lips together. “I’m more of a researcher anyway.”

“Yeah, you strike me as the bookworm type.” Tony teases him and Peter sticks his tongue out. “So, what are you writing about?”

“Did you know that ten million children die each year from completely treatable illnesses just because they don’t have access to affordable health care?” Tony shakes his head. “The things they’re dying from aren’t really that complicated- It’s stuff like pneumonia and diarrhea. But doctors and labs are expensive.. Scientists are already working on nano-chips that can be implanted in people that can diagnose illnesses. Combine that with an automated program for the shipment of medicine..”   


“You take away the overhead, you cut the cost.” Tony’s smile widens as he picks up where Peter is going. "Smart."

“It won’t fix everything, but it could make a huge difference for people in developing countries.” Peter’s eyes are practically sparkling as he speaks with passion and conviction, and there’s no doubt in Tony’s mind that Peter is going to make a difference in the world someday.

After that first week, they fall into an easy rhythm with Peter stopping by every day after school to do homework or, if he doesn't have any, to help Tony. The garage is only a few blocks away from the school, so it's easy for Peter to get there and be settled in before the jocks are out of practice and looking for trouble.

Tony isn't usually one for company, but he sees a lot of himself in Peter. He grew up not entirely straight in a small town, but he was barely brave enough to admit it to himself, much less let anyone else know. Still, he was also a bit of a science and engineering nerd and at that age, it wasn't cool. When he got to college, suddenly knowing how to build computers and cars was fascinating to his peers, though, and he found his footing. He's sure Peter will too, but still, high school hadn't been great for him and he understood Peter's need for a sanctuary.

When Peter doesn't have homework, Tony has him help with the cars- Just simple things at first, like handing him tools or holding parts in place, but the more he works with the boy, the more he realizes that Peter is.. Incredibly smart. They had been spending time together for a few weeks and already, Peter was able to tell which tool he needed before he asked for it.

"Can I get the ten milimeter socket?" Tony asked without looking up from his work, simply holding his hand out. he takes the part Peter gives him, pausing or a moment. "Oh, this is the five millimeter."

"I know. The gear is ten millimeter, the camshaft is five." Peter explains. "That's what you're working on, right?"

Tony blinks.

He's absolutely right.

"Yeah." Tony smiles at him. "It is." He dives back under the hood before Peter can comment on what's surely a stupid grin on his face.

Tony can't help but feel fond of Peter. The more he gets to know him, the more he realizes that Peter is a great kid. He's smart and sweet and he has so many hopes and dreams for the future, almost all of which revolve around helping other people. When Peter told him about wanting to go to college so that he could help save lives one day, Tony's heart melted just a little bit.

"Tony..?" Peter hands him a towel as he sits back and Tony wipes the sweat from his brow.

"What's up, kid?" Tony doesn't miss the anxious look on his face, his normally soft features scrunched up.

"I.." He fiddles with the can of soda in his hand, twirling the tab until it breaks. "It gets easier, right?"

Tony sighs. He knows that Peter has trouble fitting in, which is bullshit, in his mind. Peter is sweet and brilliant and funny- How anyone can not like him? It's really not fair for Peter that they live in a small town and people around here aren't good at accepting people that are different from them.

"Yeah, it does." Tony grabs his own drink to give himself something to do with his hands as they talk.

"When?" Peter's shoulders slump and Tony wonders if the bullies have been extra tough on him this week.

"College, probably." Tony shrugs. "You just.. Gotta hold on a little longer, kid." He smiles, but it's pinched.

"It's just.. I don't get why they hate me so much, you know?"

"They're scared." Peter snorts and makes a face at him like he doesn't believe Tony's words. "They're scared because deep down they know that they're never going to get out of this town, but you.. You're gonna be somebody, Peter. Somebody important."

"You really think so?" Peter sounds unsure.

"I know so." Tony puts a hand on his shoulder and Peter smiles up at him.

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you think!


End file.
